Ajahn Amaro in New York City

Hello, everyone.

Spreading the word that Ajahn Amaro will be holding talks and an all-day event in New York City in the coming month.

May 18-20, 23rd at NYC Insight on 27th and Broadway. R and W trains go there.

He's the Abbott of Abhayagiri Monastery in California, and a student of Ajahn Chah from the Thai Forest Tradition. He's also one of the few Theravadin monastics I'm aware of who is interested in Dzogchen practice. I've never met him, but I have heard some good talks of his online, and he's a real friendly-looking dude with a great smile.

Details at the NYC Insight webpage: nyimc.org/index.php/site/event/four_teachings_by_ajahn_amaro/

The last chapter in this little book is particularly relevant to our delightful dialogues here at KFDh.

Quoting from there:

"[This is] creating a false division of what meditation is and isn't. But actually, if we give our hearts to whatever we are doing, without our personal agendas or our preferences taking over, then whether it's pain, heat, dust, hard work, or being alone on your mountain top, the space of Rigpa is the same."

silentmindopenheart.org/docs/Broad_View.pdf

Talks given by Ajahn Amaro, from the Abhayagiri website:

www.abhayagiri.org/main/media/#talks

I'd be very curious to hear peoples' reactions and thoughts about this interview...

www.inquiringmind.com/Articles/TheBottomLine.html

"I'd be very curious to hear peoples' reactions and thoughts about this interview...

www.inquiringmind.com/Articles/TheBottomLine.html "

Sometimes I fantasize about having a month-long exchange program, where Bhante Gunaratana and U Pandita Sayadaw and Thanissaro Bhikkhu and Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Sumedho and others have to live with jobs and spouses, while Kenneth and Daniel and Chris and Jackson and Vince and others have to ordain and live at monasteries.

It'd be like that reality TV show wife-swap, only with Buddhist peeps.

;-D

Thanks Ryan that was a great read. I don't know if I agree completely with him. I think this site speaks for itself, it is entirely possible to have a hardcore practice while living a lay life. Chris and Jackson have never gone on retreat and they seem to be making great progress. I think it depends on what center you go too, the only retreat I have been on is in the Goenka Tradition. I didn't feel like it was a watered down experience with overly nice meals or accommodations etc. That I think is more in the west. The other thing he didn't mention was a lot of those centers (Spirit Rock and IMS) have head teachers Kornfield, Fronsdal, and Goldstien who were monks for many years... I went through the period of wanting to become a renunciate a couple months ago (right before and just after SE). I dunno I feel like the strongest practice for me right now is to try to live in the world without hiding away in the woods. I do have a lot of respect for the monks. I just think the chauvinist attitude some of them take towards lay practice is a bit well bull... but I have never been a monk so I dunno maybe they are correct...